Valve has been known for putting out quality and groundbreaking games from its very beginning—be it single-player or multiplayer. The Portal games are widely regarded as one of the best puzzle games to this date and a jarring gap of 9 years makes it one of the best times for the series to make a return.
Valve, most famously known for its online marketplace Steam, had not put out a single-player game for a long time, until very recently. Half-Life: Alyx released in March of 2020 and quickly went on to become one of the best games in its class. Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve has stated that the success of Half-Life: Alyx has led to work on newer projects, set to be announced sometime soon. Perhaps among them is Portal 3.
Among the various titles the giant has under its belt, the Portal series is the safest bet for a return. The games don’t rely too much on storytelling and overarching narratives, though not to say that it’s bad by any means, but it avoids scenarios that other more story-oriented games could fall on their own sword. Furthermore, most of the leading officials who worked on these games have long left the company, including most major writers. Erik Wolpaw, known for his work on Portal 2 and Left 4 Dead games, has left the company to work for Double Fine Productions and is currently working on Psychonauts 2. Some others such as Marc Laidlaw, writer for the Half-Life series has also left the company some time ago.
This does make bringing back the mostly story-driven franchises a lot more difficult as fans are likely going to miss the original creators, stories, and plotlines that were established. Avoiding this is easier in some cases, such as where the original Left 4 Dead developer is already hard at work for its next game Back 4 Blood, but arguably, the only franchise left that can still have a big impact is the Portal series.
Both the Portal games have been out for a long while now, and fans still haven’t really seen any game replicating what they offered. These games have inspired many stellar puzzling games like The Witness and The Talos Principle, but no game has come near to offering the player agency that the Portal games offer.
Another big reason to bring back these games is gamers have actually grown to appreciate games that are a little more unique. As strange as it may sound, Portal 2 released at a time when the industry was steadily moving towards more multiplayer-oriented and open-world titles. Ubisoft had just refined its open-world formulas with titles like Assassin’s Creed which sold significantly more copies than the Portal games, as one example. Now, many gamers may be getting weary of this cookie-cutter template and yearning for something new. The recent successes of games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild and Dark Souls have showcased that players still value fresh mechanics more than ever. This does, as a result, make an excellent case for bringing back Portal: the freedom and player agency on offer is unique, it is fresh and exciting, yet it is still recognizable to a fair degree.
Valve gets a lot of slack for not putting out any more single-player games, which isn’t entirely justified. Unlike many other big-name corporate institutions, Valve puts its projects directly in the hands of its developers. Gabe Newell has gone on record several times in the past stating that employees are free to pitch and make any games they deem fit. Again, the recent success of Half-Life: Alyx has motivated many employees to start off new projects within the company. Here’s hoping it brings one of our favorite series back to a brand new audience. It may not even be a direct continuation, but anything that brings back the beloved Portal gun is sure to keep fans content for now.
Portal 2 is out now on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
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